Corporate medicine

[nimbus]

Why Doctors and Pharmacists Are in Revolt

Once accustomed to a status outside the usual management-labor hierarchy, many health professionals now feel as put upon as any clock-punching worker.

www.nytimes.com

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[GravelRider]

These things will go nowhere until the general public is educated about the ills of corporate medicine. The average citizen is completely clueless on the number of bloodsucking middlemen that their insurance premiums go to every year. Doctors are the face of medicine and because of that there will be no sympathy from the public as they watch the cost of healthcare rise year after year. In a way, the corporate overlords have found the perfect industry to extract wealth from the American citizen because it’s one of the few industries where the workers will bear the brunt of the blame and not the owners. When the public finally does demand that something is done to reign in the cost of healthcare, it will be the workers of the healthcare industry that will feel their anger.

 

[<(^_^)>]

These things will go nowhere until the general public is educated about the ills of corporate medicine. The average citizen is completely clueless on the number of bloodsucking middlemen that their insurance premiums go to every year. Doctors are the face of medicine and because of that there will be no sympathy from the public as they watch the cost of healthcare rise year after year. In a way, the corporate overlords have found the perfect industry to extract wealth from the American citizen because it’s one of the few industries where the workers will bear the brunt of the blame and not the owners. When the public finally does demand that something is done to reign in the cost of healthcare, it will be the workers of the healthcare industry that will feel their anger.

I think that’s part of the reason the article exists. Doctors previously were seen as above this sort of thing as medicine was a calling, we were treated with respect etc. now that we have been reduced to providers and our calling reduced to a job, people are treating it as one. I would obviously prefer the former, but if they want us all to be cogs then unions are the natural consequence of that.

Look at UPS drivers, airline pilots, autoworkers etc. Do you think the public wants to pay more for airline tickets or shipping? No. Does it matter? Also no. Pilots said “alright we are shutting down the airline industry if we don’t get massive raises” and then got >40% raises over the next 4 years. Just like that.

It’s a messy and toxic environment but corporations have done their best to diminish this career and the chickens are coming home to roost.

 

[chessknt]

I think that’s part of the reason the article exists. Doctors previously were seen as above this sort of thing as medicine was a calling, we were treated with respect etc. now that we have been reduced to providers and our calling reduced to a job, people are treating it as one. I would obviously prefer the former, but if they want us all to be cogs then unions are the natural consequence of that.

Look at UPS drivers, airline pilots, autoworkers etc. Do you think the public wants to pay more for airline tickets or shipping? No. Does it matter? Also no. Pilots said “alright we are shutting down the airline industry if we don’t get massive raises” and then got >40% raises over the next 4 years. Just like that.

It’s a messy and toxic environment but corporations have done their best to diminish this career and the chickens are coming home to roost.

Eh there are way more healthcare systems then there are airlines and strict rules governing and exact hours and requirements of working create a shortage of pilots that doesnt translate to medicine well.

I don't agree that doctors are the face of the problem. You guys don't see it but a good fraction of outpatients typically do want to keep their doctor and blame insurance/medicare/pharma for costs, not provider offices which operate on razor thin margins. The issue is that the industry is so massive and well oiled that nothing short of catastrophe will shake all these lobbying parasites off the lawmakers who are beholden to the 2 party garbage political system we live under. It won't change much until it completely collapses.

 

[GravelRider]

Eh there are way more healthcare systems then there are airlines and strict rules governing and exact hours and requirements of working create a shortage of pilots that doesnt translate to medicine well.

I don't agree that doctors are the face of the problem. You guys don't see it but a good fraction of outpatients typically do want to keep their doctor and blame insurance/medicare/pharma for costs, not provider offices which operate on razor thin margins. The issue is that the industry is so massive and well oiled that nothing short of catastrophe will shake all these lobbying parasites off the lawmakers who are beholden to the 2 party garbage political system we live under. It won't change much until it completely collapses.

I just look at a sampling of comments on articles like this and there is a reasonably significant portion that has no love lost for greedy doctors. Now, rural primary care doctors that still know everyone in town might garner more sympathy from the public than any specialist out there…certainly not greedy anesthesiologists.

 

[chessknt]

I just look at a sampling of comments on articles like this and there is a reasonably significant portion that has no love lost for greedy doctors. Now, rural primary care doctors that still know everyone in town might garner more sympathy from the public than any specialist out there…certainly not greedy anesthesiologists.

Most people won't go back to see a doctor if they think they are being ripped off. They see office staff and generally understand the costs. Some random bill from a physician they have never heard of for more than the surgery is of course going to be viewed differently.

Most outpatient providers generally have a decent memory for patients they see especially if it is more than a few times a year, don't have to be in a rural setting to remember that someone has an interesting job or survived a serious illness etc.